Letters
to the Editor
Pay
problems exist
I am writing
on behalf of all those officers and SNCOs who are tired of having to
make excuses to their diggers as to why SCMA has not yet actioned their
pay changes.
I am utterly
appalled at the amount of time that can lapse between the date when
a promotion, qualification course or ECN change occurs and the date
when the soldier starts to be paid under their new pay group.
I realise
that a large number of trade or ECN changes happen every week and that
the staff at SCMA are kept busy but do we really expect that soldiers
have to wait more than three months to start receiving their entitlements?
I have
lost track of the number of times I have tried to get a soldier’s
pay problem corrected, only to be told, “We’ve done all we
can at unit level, it’s up to SCMA now”.
These problems
are not due to poor administration at unit level. We have conducted
pay audits on a regular basis,we have sent off the PORs and the chief
clerk has spent many hours on the phone with SCMA.
The results?
I estimate that 80 per cent of the soldiers under my command have waited
three months or more to have their pay changes correctly actioned. One
is still waiting after two years. Another is still being paid under
his old pay group, even though his SVA shows his new ECN!
Many soldiers
are now at the point of considering a Redress of Grievance or a phone
call to the Defence Ombudsman.
Anyone
naive enough to claim that such a problem doesn’t exist is welcome
to call me up and ask for evidence.
I have
plenty to provide them , and I’m sure many of your readers could
do the same. If DPE (and in particular, SCMA) are serious about “People
– the Key to Capability”, then I call on them to publish a
reply to provide soldiers with the reasons why the backlog has occurred
and how they intend to fix it.
Quite frankly,
our soldiers deserve better.
Capt Dion Nohlmans
1CER
Robertson Barracks, NT
CO SCMA
Col John Moug responds:
The letter on soldier’s pay contains a number of allegations about
the performance of SCMA. At the outset let me say that I do not expect
any officer or SNCO to make excuses for SCMA if soldiers are paid incorrectly
or suffer unacceptable delays. I do however, expect officers and SNCOs
to pursue the issue through the administrative chain to SCMA as soon
as these problems become apparent.
SCMA pay clerks make some 38,000 transactions a year with very few errors
or delays. They are committed and dedicated soldiers and Defence civilians
who are well aware of the importance of soldiers receiving their warranted
pay. That said, mistakes occasionally happen and corrective action is
undertaken as soon as the error is discovered. My staff will be in touch
with the letter’s author to determine the specific problems for
his unit. I would encourage anyone else with any concern over the processing
of a soldier’s pay by SCMA to contact Maj Rob Archer on (03) 5258
0611.
Big
job for Honours
I note
the various letters submitted by your readers in recent weeks, concerning
medals and recognition for operational and long service. It is not possible
in this response to address all the issues raised, however I would like
to take this opportunity to make several comments.
Firstly,
it is acknowledged that there are delays, in some cases of up to several
months, in issuing long service and campaign awards to recipients. I
would like to assure your readership that everything possible is being
done to reduce delays in the issue of medals to those who are eligible.
However,
it’s a big job. In recent years, the increase in the operational
tempo of the ADF, coupled with extensive changes to the qualifying criteria
for existing awards, has created more than 700,000 new medal entitlements.
Additional
resources have already been allocated to the processing of medal entitlements.
Since the
beginning of this year, more than 105,000 medals have been presented
to members of the ADF and ex-service communities – ADF members
comprising about 40 per cent. This compares with an average of 10,000
medals issued annually during the early 1990s.
Further
improvements will come from improvements in our internal processes,
not through the allocation of yet more resources. To this end, work
is progressing to automate the process of determining long service award
entitlements through PMKeyS.
In addition,
the various service medals sections are to be collocated in the near
future and soon the Defence Service
Centre
will be brought on line to assist in the handling of routine inquiries.
For awards
to serving members, our goal is to reduce the waiting period to the
minimum possible – eight weeks in the case of long service awards
and immediate presentation on return to Australia for operational awards.
We have given ourselves 12 months to achieve or better this target.
With respect
to the criteria for operational awards, several of your writers have
questioned why they have received one form of award rather than another,
and why separate campaign medals have been struck in some cases but
not in others.
The decisions
on qualifying criteria and new awards are determined after careful and
thorough analysis and on the recommendation of several government departments,
not just Defence.
At the
end of the day, the Government makes the final recommendations that
are approved by the Queen.
Directorate
of Honours and Awards (DHA) staff have no discretion in the interpretation
of these criteria.
The DHA
Internet Web site at: www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dpe_site/honours_awards/
is being updated with a FAQ page which will answer many of the specific
queries your readers may have.
Because
confirmation of entitlements is not normally provided over the telephone,
if after consulting this page a concern remains, I recommend your readers
send an e-mail to DHA at: dpe.honoursandawards@cbr.defence.gov.au/ and
this will be answered promptly.
Like others
in Defence, DHA staff are working extraordinarily hard to meet the significant
additional demands currently being experienced.
Everything
possible is being done to ensure members promptly receive the awards
they have earned.
Col Ross Boyd
Acting Director-General, Career Management Policy
Russell Offices, ACT
Outstanding
care
I have
just read the October 10 Army newspaper and an article on physio facts
by Capt Ross Railton caught my eye.
I was recently
admitted to the Military Hospital as a UN civilian and, due to my condition
of pneumonia, was treated by Ross and several of the hospital staff.
I would
like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff for the outstanding
attention I received while in the care of the unit, particularly when
they found out I was an ex-Raafie loadmaster.
The unit
worked in uncommon surrounds as did all the others before, however,
nothing was too hard to accomplish and the whole team came and went
with a smile to uplift the patients.
Thank you
to all members who got me back on the road and especially to Ross who
thumped me around with his physio.
Bob Pearman (ex WOFF RAAF)
Baucau
East Timor
A
pillar of strength
I was concerned
to note the response to Chap Taylor’s comments in the edition of
Army, October 24.
I would
like to comment in support of Chap Taylor, who has clearly been misinterpreted.
I have
served with Chap Taylor, both in Bougainville and in 1 Bde. He is a
humble man and a down-to-earth padre, who displays respect for all he
serves with, regardless of rank or background.
In particular
he proved to be a pillar of strength following the accidental death
of two soldiers in my unit within 1 Bde.
I can only
ask that he be given the benefit of the doubt in this case.
Maj James Roche,
ACSC,
Weston, ACT
Lawful
exclusion
In response
to Capt A. Hudson’s letter to Army (October 24).
DI(G) Pers
32-1 outlines that under section 43 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984,
the ADF may lawfully exclude posting women into combat-related positions.
This excludes
women from employment in armour, artillery, infantry and combat engineer
units/positions. A previous CA decision modified this policy to allow
the practice of women being employed in GRes combat units in employment
categories for which they are trade qualified. This extends to RFSUs,
non-deployable establishments and training units.
This practice
is extant for non-operational periods only. Servicewomen are not to
deploy on operations on the posted strength of an RAAC, RAA, RAInf or
combat engineer unit.
The CA
has indicated the current policy and practices will stand until the
results of the Physical Employment Standards (PES) project are delivered
and analysed. The aim and objectives of the PES project were covered
in Army in the June 6 edition.
Lt-Col Peter Short,
SO1 Pers Mngt Group, SCMA,
Fort Queenscliff, VIC
Use
the real thing
In recent
months the shortfall in Defence recruiting has been given a significant
amount of attention.
The current
Defence strategy seems to focus mainly on print and television media.
While the advertisements are eye-pleasing, they are failing to capture
the enthusiasm of a media-saturated Generation Y.
The fact
of the matter is we are a small army that is geographically separated
from our population centres. Sure, we get good face-to-face exposure
with the residents of Townsville and Darwin but the potential for recruitment
in these cities is tiny compared to just one of our state capitals.
For the
majority of people living within big cities such as Melbourne and Sydney
their perception of Defence is entirely limited to the media. Few Sydneysiders
would have experienced the awesome power of a Leopard Tank first hand.
Even fewer
Melbournians would have marvelled at the roar of a low-flying Black
Hawk for themselves.
Glossy
newspaper ads and high-speed TV commercials simply do not cut the mustard
when it comes to garnering the attention of would-be recruits.
In my opinion
there is no substitute for the real thing. If you want to see an increase
in recruiting then you need to get in the face of teenagers with the
impressive ‘big boys toys’ that the Army has at its disposal.
My suggestion
is that each of the Army’s Corps Specific Schools provide a sliver
of their unit establishment to the cause of recruiting for just one
month a year.
As an example,
the School Of Infantry could supply an infantry section, the School
of Armour a LAV Troop and the School of Aviation a Black Hawk Helicopter.
These assets would form the focal point of a travelling road show that
would visit all the major cities of Australia.
The show
could begin with a presentation of each corp’s assets and employment
types to the would-be recruits.
This would
then be followed up by a practical display with LAVs revving engines
and firing blanks ‘preparing’ the area for a Black Hawk insertion
of the infantry section.
After the
show was over the Army soldiers involved would then be available at
respective static displays to answer questions and discuss employment
options. By using existing Defence assets and minimising the time they
are utilised I do not believe such a venture would be cost-prohibitive.
The other
advantage is the boost in morale of existing Defence personnel who would
participate in such an activity.
I realise
that conceptually this is not a new idea and that some may say we simply
don’t have the time or money for such an undertaking. To them I
say how long before the issue of recruitment and retention becomes an
imperative.
Capt Adrian Park
5 Avn Regt
Moleana, East Timor
Real
answers needed
I have
to admit that, since my retirement, I rarely have an opportunity to
get hold of the ol’ Army rag for a read. That changed recently
when I picked up a copy of your 1061 edition of October 10.
It’s
good to see that the editorial staff have revised and refreshed the
look and feel of the newspaper – after all, we all must move on.
Pity about
the published response to Capt P. Rogers’ letter about “The
trials of TRA” though.
It sounded
like it came straight from a DHA glossy brochure – full of waffle
with no substance or answer to the problem.
A very
typical bureaucratical response to a very real need by a soldier, which
unfortunately is how most published responses appear to those who read
Army.
Now DHA
may well be staffed by 48 per cent of people who are either ex-military
or a partner of a Defence member, etc, but the ones with the authority
to rectify Capt Rogers’ problem with the flourish of a pen (and
that’s all it would take) are career public servants who do not
get moved around from pillar to post every couple of years, or have
never had the honour of wearing a military uniform.
To keep
people, you need to look after them – that’s a wider Defence
issue.
To inform
people correctly, you should research all the relevant information and
publish responses to questions which give stressed-out letter writers
more than one choice – that’s an issue for Army to address
(which I’m sure you can).
Wayne Jones
ex-SSGT
Chisholm, ACT
Editor’s Response: Not every person who receives a letter
to respond to replies in time or in the correct spirit. As a result,
I have reduced the time we give to respondents from four weeks to two
to encourage prompt replies – otherwise letters will run without
a response.
I have also spoken with areas within Defence, such as DHA, urging them
to provide real answers to the real problems and frustrations felt by
soldiers.
This approach is beginning to pay dividends. Unfortunately my staff
and I do not have the time to research all letters and questions –
our approach is to be an avenue for soldiers to highlight issues.
Thanks
for everything
I was unlucky
enough to have been injured in the recent Bali Bombings but was fortunate
to be a member of an organisation that really does look after its members.
I am writing
to thank a number of individuals for their help in the days and weeks
following the bombing.
DCO-NT – namely Maj Lindsay Bancroft for his daily visits while
I was in the Royal Darwin Hospital, looking after my parents in the
days after the bombing and organising flights. He acted well above what
was expected of him.
The crew
of the second Hercules to leave Denpasar. The medics and flight crew
did an excellent job in a hectic situation and provided life-saving
treatment to some badly injured people.
The Adjutant
12/40RTR, Capt Matt Flanagan, for keeping my parents and mates in the
battalion updated on my condition.
Most importantly,
thank you to a soldier called Gareth who, along with George Grisacich,
helped me from outside the Sari Club to the local medical centre.
All I know
about Gareth is that he is heading to Timor in 2003. If you are reading
this, please get in touch with me.
It is reassuring
to know that when things go bad the Army has systems in place that do
work.
2Lt Stuart Anstee
12/40RTR
Burnie, TAS
Editor’s Note: If Gareth would like to contact Army newspaper,
I would only be too happy to put him in contact with 2Lt Anstee.
Looking
for old mates
I am looking
to meet up with some old mates from 158 Tank Transporter Tp, Puckapunyal.
I was posted there between 1983 and 1986 and have not kept in touch
after leaving the Army in 1986 after nine years service.
I moved
to Sydney then overseas to England and lost touch with everybody.
I was wondering
whether it would be possible to arrange a reunion for all past members.
I have
very fond memories of 158 Tank Transporter Tp and the mateship we had
was very strong.
Stephen Gambley (2263663)
Managing Director
Quantum Cost Assessors Pty Limited
E-mail: sgambley@qcassessors.com
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